Against Kaguya, the strength of Sebastian's helper was never something to take lightly. Whether it was Esdeath or Ram, either of them possessed power that might very well rival her own. Yet, in the face of someone who had so recklessly trespassed into his area of control, Sebastian had no intention of letting the matter pass so easily. This time, he would deal with it personally.
"Are you Sebastian?" Seeing the man before her, far younger than she had imagined, Kaguya's expression slowly turned solemn.
She had no idea how Sebastian had appeared here, nor had she expected their encounter to unfold in such a direct and sudden manner.
While she carefully sized Sebastian up, Sebastian was doing the same, his gaze lingering on her form and the magic mirror before her. Her level of strength, when combined with her tool, could truly be described as the absolute ceiling of power in this world's current era.
After devouring the celestial maiden and gaining immortality, along with her formidable treasures, even the defeats of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha no longer seemed surprising in the slightest. Compared to ordinary demons, she was clearly far more troublesome to deal with.
Even though Inuyasha had grown significantly under Sebastian's guidance, he was still far from enough, merely scratching the surface, unable to stand against her in a true battle.
"I don't care who you are. Since you've chosen to stand against me and my faction…then you will die."
Locking her gaze onto Sebastian, who regarded her with undisguised killing intent, she raised her hand and calmly removed a golden hairpin from atop her head.
The moment it left her grasp, the hairpin transformed into a radiant golden longsword. Under the blazing sunlight, the blade shimmered with a cold brilliance, its edge exuding a terrifying sharpness that seemed capable of severing anything in its path.
"Gesturing for Kikyō and Tsubaki to remain where they were, Sebastian stepped forward, advancing toward the enemy.
In the blink of an eye, steel met steel. As one of the strongest beings in this era, her swordsmanship was flawless. The instant Sebastian moved, she surged forward as well.
Their blades clashed in midair, weaving an intricate and suffocating web of steel. As their movements accelerated, their figures blurred into near invisibility, leaving only streaks of light and shadow. The only thing that remained distinct was the relentless, rapid ringing of colliding blades.
"His strength is impressive." After hundreds of exchanges, Kaguya used the force of her blade to disengage, retreating slightly. Though it had only been a brief clash, it was enough.
From Sebastian, she felt something entirely different from what she had experienced with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Pressure. An overwhelming, suffocating pressure, as if every path forward had been sealed.
His swordsmanship left no openings, no weaknesses. Realizing that she could not inflict any meaningful damage through pure technique, she decisively widened the distance between them.
"He truly lives up to his reputation." Her voice was calm, but her expression had grown increasingly grave. More importantly, she could clearly sense that Sebastian had yet to use his full strength.
"It cannot be dragged out any longer." Staring at Sebastian, who stood silently across from her, she wasted no time. With a slight movement of her fingers, a star pattern instantly formed, and a beam of gray light shot toward Sebastian.
In an instant, everything seemed to freeze. The air, the dust, the drifting leaves, all of it halted, locked in place as though time itself had been sealed away. Everything… except Sebastian.
Within the gray stillness, Sebastian, clad in his dark aura, blade in hand, continued walking forward at an unhurried pace. Fragments of debris floated motionless before him, yet he moved through them as if unaffected, as though the frozen world held no authority over him.
This was his first time witnessing such a phenomenon. And yet, he did not stop. Sebastian understood well the nature of her power, the ability to freeze time itself.
But to him, such a technique was nothing more than something he had long grown accustomed to. After all, he had already taken Esdeath's time-freezing ability as part of his arsenal. Compared to that, her technique held no fear.
Within her mirror-bound domain, her heart shook. This was the first time her control over the power had failed.
But her shock lasted only a moment. In the next instant, she reacted. Her golden blade swept forward, and with a single motion, ten blazing fireballs roared forth, screaming through the frozen air toward Sebastian.
The frigid stillness shattered into a blazing inferno. The space around them transformed into a furnace, waves of scorching heat surging outward as flames devoured everything in their path. A storm of fire descended upon Sebastian.
"Is that all?" Sebastian continued advancing, unhurried, his steps steady and composed. He did not attempt to defend, nor did he show the slightest trace of concern.
The fire engulfed the world, turning it into a scene of utter devastation, like a living hell. And yet, it could not harm him in the slightest.
The Demon Armor, Incursio, which he wore, possessed the power of infinite evolution. Any attack it endured would quickly be adapted to, granting permanent resistance.
Sebastian had already subjected himself to countless extreme conditions, honing this ability to its limit, so her flames were meaningless against him.
With a snap of his fingers, a surge of frost erupted outward, instantly extinguishing the surrounding inferno. The blazing world was swallowed by ice.
"You are quite capable. It's no wonder this place is regarded as the final line of defense by the Demon-Slaying Village. It seems this encounter will not be as simple as before."
Facing Sebastian, who had effortlessly neutralized her attack, she showed no reaction this time. If he could not even withstand such an attack, he would never have become the feared figure capable of ruling such a vast domain. Even so, she had no intention of conceding defeat.
At that moment, the robe draped over her body began to move, its surface rippling as if it had come alive. The air itself seemed to tighten.
The battle… was far from over.